1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to tools having handle grips, and more particularly to cultivating or harvesting tools having rotatable handle grips.
2. Background Information
Hand held tools are used to perform a wide variety of functions. For example, these implements are commonly used in outdoor applications, and particularly in the fields of farming, landscaping, digging, excavating, gardening, and cultivation. Unfortunately, such tools often force the user to have their hands in an unergonomic position. Examples of hand held tools include rakes, shovels, hoes, spades, pitchforks, scythes, scoops, and the like. One particular hand held tool is a weed and plant harvesting tool.
Weed and plant harvesting devices are known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,909,385 to Meredich shows a garden tool. The Meredich device has spaced parallel and perpendicular blades for digging and breaking apart the soil.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,843,359 to Franz et al. shows a weed digging tool having a blade with a v-shaped notch which is inserted into the ground and lifted upwards so that the weed is pulled out roots and all from the ground. Like many weed pullers, this device uses leverage to extract a weed by lifting it.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,928,655 to Armstrong shows a weed puller. The Armstrong device straps onto a wearer's shoe and contains a v-shaped blade which is inserted into the ground and tilted upwards so that the weed is lifted up roots and all.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,279,747 to Brandeberry shows a weeding tool for grasping weeds and pulling them out by the roots.
And finally, U.S. Pat. No. 2,378,459 to Beardsley shows a weeding tool for insertion in the ground and prying upwards thereby pulling up the weed by its roots.
What is needed is a hand tool with a handle grip that does not force the user to hold the tool in an unergonomic position. Accordingly, the tool preferably includes a rotatable handle that can be rotated to a desired or otherwise ergonomically favorable position. The tool may be a plant harvesting device having a harvesting means used to cut and remove vegetation without pulling the vegetation out by its roots. The tool may also be configured to cut vegetation off at or near the surface of the ground, with the ability to accumulate a quantity of cut plants for eventual collection. The tool may further be configured to provide a variable angle of attack, so that the tool may slid along the ground and strike the stems of plants near the ground, cutting them off.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description as follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.